Charles Durning, Well Known Character Actor and War Veteran, Dies at 89

Charles Durning, an iconic character actor and war hero, died on Christmas Eve in New York of natural causes. He was 89. Durning’s longtime agent Judith Moss confirmed her client and friend’s death to the Associated Press, saying he died in his Manhattan home on Monday evening.

Durning typified the actor known more by face than by name, appearing in movies as diverse as cross-dressing comedy “Tootsie,” crime drama “Dog Day Afternoon” and musical comedy “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” He also received more than academy award and Golden Globe nomination in his career.

Although he never won, Durning was always a well respected actor. He was one of those guys whose face you always recognized when he was on television though you always had trouble remembering his name. He was awarded the Screen Actors Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. Durning continued to act throughout his later years, recurring on FX’s “Rescue Me” as Michael Gavin, father to Denis Leary’s Tommy Gavin.